Card comparison game



Oct 7, 1969 A. 1'. JANISZEWSKI ETAL. 3,

CARD COMPARISON GAME Filed July 26, 1967 l .n bill!!! vlififlllffffll aW NE 57- N6 2 d m m w 044 M E AA CEV/C/US %ORN EYS United States PatentInt. Cl. A63p 1/00 U.S. 01. 273-1 4 Claims ABSTRACT on. THE DISCLOSURE Acard game including a card holding device which is adapted to support aplurality of cards. The card holding device is mounted in a frameforrelative rotation and for raising and lowering movement with respect tothe frame, so that the cards are initially concealed from view and asthe card holder rotates and rises a greater portion of the cards isexposed until finally the entire face of the cards is seen. The deviceincludes a plurality of .levers for stopping the rotation of the cardholding device at any time. The deck of cards provided includes pairs ofidentical cards with some of the pairs being closely similar to, butdistinguishable from, others of the pairs of cards.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is acontinuation-impart of the co-pending patent application Ser. No.522,208 which was filed on May 23, 1966 and has since become abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally togame apparatus, and is particularly directed to a game involving the useof illustrated cards with a device for displaying the cards in a mannerthat they can be observed and recognized with a progressively decreasingdegree of difiiculty, so that the players compete with each other inattempting to match cards in their hands with the displayed cards. Whilethe use of flash cards has been known heretofore, the present inventionprovides a novel means for controlling the time and exposure of thecards, while providing a novel game in attempting to match up pairs ofidentical cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Game apparatus in the form of a device forholding at least one card and including a frame structure, wherein thecard supporting means is mounted for rotation and for raising andlowering movement with respect to the frame structure and from aposition where the card is substantially concealed from view to aposition where the card is entirely exposed, and mechanism operablyconnected with the card holding means for effecting rotation andelevation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of thedevice for bolding and displaying the cards;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view generally on the line 22of FIGURE 1, with parts broken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2, withparts broken away or omitted;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of structure seen in FIGURE 2;and

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FIGURE 5 is a plan view of two of the playing cards, illustrating thesimilarities and differences of the pictures on the cards which are usedin the game.

The cards in the deck provided for the game are arranged in pairs, thecards of each pair being identical with each other so that there will beduplicates of each card in the deck. Further, two or more pairs of cardsare essentially identical but have some marked differences, such as thehandbag shown in the picture to the left in FIGURE 5. The game may beplayed in a variety of ways, but essentially, the cards are dealt to thevarious players, and one of the players will place a card or cards in aconcealed position within the display or holding device. When all isready the device will be operated and the card or cards in the displaydevice will be raised a portion at a time, as the device rotates, so asto give the players a view of such portion only. As the rotation of thedevice continues more of the card is exposed, and if one of the playersthinks he recognizes a rotating picture as being identical to one heholds in his hand he is entitled to stop the rotation and take the card.The matched cards will be kept by the player to determine his finalscore. As indicated above, each pair of cards is almost but not quiteidentical with another pair of cards, for example, in the illustrationof FIGURE 5 the figure to the left is carrying a handbag and the deckwill include another identical card to this. However, the figure on theright has no bag, but otherwise is the same as the figure on the left.There would also be another card identical with the figure on the right.A variety of pictures would be present in the deck, but this scheme ofalmost similar pairs would be followed throughout. In the event a playerguesses wrongly in his attempt to recognize a card, there should be anappropriate penalty such as the loss of card. Preferably, the displaydevice is reloaded with four new cards from the deck after each timethat the rotating device is stopped.

The players will be disposed about the holding and displaying device,which comprises a base or frame structure 10 on which is mounted forrotation an upstanding housing 12 having a lower enlarged portion 14.Housing 12 is angular in cross section and telescopically receivestherein a support or card rack 16 of a shape complementary to that ofthe upper portion of housing 12. Support 16 preferably has one or moresides 18 provided with side edge flanges 20 spaced slightly outwardlyfrom the surface of sides 18, and a bottom flange or ledge 22 providinga support for the cards. A groove or recess 24 along each surface 18facilitates insertion of the cards on the rack.

From the above it will be apparent that a card inserted between flanges20 will be held in place by ledge 22 and move with the card rack 16. Asstated, support 16 is retractable downwardly within housing 12, from thefull line position shown in FIGURE 2 to the dotted position therein,whereupon a card 26 is hidden within the housing 12. Card support 16 byreason of its shape, i.e. complementary to housing 12, must rotatetherewith, and if it is at the same time gradually raise-d relative tothe housing, the top edge of card 26 will become visible above the upperportion of housing 12. As support 16 is raised further, more and more ofcard 26 will become visible and it will be possible to recognize thepicture thereon in spite of the rotation. Such rotation and raising andlowering of support 16 is accomplished by suitable mechanismincorporated within base 10, housing 12, and support 16.

With reference particularly to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the basestructure 10 provides a journal for a vertically extending shaft 28disposed centrally of the housing 12 and the lower portion of the cardrack 16. The shaft includes a helical groove 30 extending from aposition adjacent its upper end to a position adjacent the bottom wall32 of housing 14. A pin 34 or the like, which is fixed to the lower partof the card display rack 16 and projecting inwardly therefrom, isdisposed in engagement with the spiral groove 30. The lower housing 14includes a circular opening 36 at its center for receiving the shaft 28in assembly of the apparatus, and the shaft 28 and housing 14 are keyedor otherwise secured together for rotation in unison. In the illustratedembodiment, the housing 14 has a circular bearing member 38 fixed on itsunderside, which is also fixed to a lower, enlarged end portion 40 ofshaft 28, in order to unite the shaft and housing and facilitaterotation thereof relative to the surface of the upper wall 41 of base10.

The card display rack 16 is generally rectangular, and each of the sidewalls 42 (FIGURE 3) includes a pair of grooves or recesses 44 whichengage a rib 46 on the interior of the lower housing portion 14, so asto provide for guided vertical motion of rack 16 relative to housing 14,while securing the two together for rotation in unison. A coil spring 48is disposed within card rack 16 and is seated at one end on a reducedend portion 50 of the shaft 28, and the other end of the spring isbolted or otherwise secured to the under side portion of a knob assembly52 disposed at the top of the rack 16. The coil spring 48 is furtherlocated and guided by a cylindrical bore member or sleeve 54 fixed torack 16. The lower end of the shaft 28, which is disposed within thebase 10, is formed with a one-way clutch device 53 comprising twogenerally circular portions 54, 56 seen in FIG- URE 4 and havingsimilarly inclined surface segments 54a and 56a, respectively. Thebottom surface of the lowermost section 56 is serrated, as indicated at58 in FIGURE 2, and a leaf spring 60 secured to the bottom Wall 62 ofthe base has its free end portion in engagement with the serratedsurface 58 to provide a sound somewhat similar to a ticking noise as theshaft 28 and clutch rotate.

It is seen, therefore, that by grasping the knob 52 and depressing thecard rack 16 against the biasing action of the coil spring 48, theentire card holding assembly 12 will be rotated and rack 16 will bedepressed into a concealed position within the housing 14. The rotationis, of course, effected by the engagement of the pin 34 in the spiralgroove on the shaft. When the knob 52 is then released, the action ofthe coil spring 48 will cause the rack 16 to rise within the housing 14and will also rotate the two housings 14, 16 in unison as the pin movesaround the spiral groove. The clutch device 53 will permit the upperportion 54 to move relative to the lower portion 56 when the knob isdepressed, but the two clutch surfaces 54a, 56a lock together and movein unison when the knob 52 is released to provide the upward movement ofrack 16 and rotation of the assembly 12.

In order to selectively stop the rotation of the card display device 12at any time during its travel, there are provided four levers 70projecting upwardly from the base 10 and disposed at ninety degrees withrespect to one another. These levers are each loosely and pivotallymounted in the base 10, and the lower end of each lever is pivotallyconnected with an elongated member 72 having its forward end portion 74extending toward the center of the base 10 and closely adjacent theclutch device 53. An intermediate portion of member 72 is supported on aspring member 73 in a manner affording longitudinal movement of member72 relative to its normal position of rest seen in FIGURE 2. Clutch 53has a peripheral extension in the form of an eccentric boss 76 thereonin position for engagement by the end 74 of any of lever members 72.Consequently, as the exposed lever part 70 is pulled away from thecenter of the device, the

4 forward end 74 of the elongated member is moved inwardly to a positionof blocking engagement with the eccentric boss 76 on the clutch 53 andwill, therefore, stop the rotation of the shaft 28 and housings 14, 16.

In the play of a game utilizing the described apparatus, a plurality ofthe cards 26 are distributed to the players and four cards arepositioned in the rack 16 on each of the four sides 18 thereof. Thebutton 52 and rack 16 are depressed to move the latter down into thelower housing 14 where the cards are then concealed from view. At suchtime the spring 48 is compressed and the pin 34 has moved to itslowermost position in groove 30. The rack 16 can be held in itsconcealed position within the housing 14 and the latter held againstrotation by means of any one of the latch levers in the mannerdescribed. When the players are ready to begin the game, the latch lever70 is moved to release part 76 from its position of engagement with boss76, and the expansion of the spring 48 effects rotation of the housing14 and card rack 16, as well as gradual upward movement of the cardrack. As the card rack 16 moves upwardly, the upper portions of thecards supported thereon are gradually exposed. When a player thinks hehas a card in his hand matching one of the cards in the rack, he canstop the rotation of the housing by pulling his lever 70 toward him. Ifhis guess is correct, he wins the card in the rack, and the playerfinally having the greatest number of pairs of cards wins the game. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the card support is constructed so that, asthe card rack moves into its uppermost position and the lower edges 22move even with or above the upper edge of housing 14, the cardsremaining in the rack 16 Will automatically fall forwardly away from therack since they no longer have the lateral support of the lower housing.Thus, the apparatus also provides automatic ejection of the cardssupported on rack 16 when the latter reaches 1ts uppermost position.

Although shown and described with respect to particular structure, itwill be apparent that various modifications might be made withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention. Further, it should beunderstood that the described play of a game with the use of thedisclosed apparatus is only by way of example and may take any ofnumerous other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a device for holding a card and including aframe structure, card supporting means mounted on said frame structurefor rotation and for raising and lowering movement with respect thereto,a housing disposed on said frame in closely surrounding relation to saidcard supporting means, and mechanism operably connected with said cardsupporting means for effecting rotation thereof from a lower positionwherein said card is substantially concealed from view by said housingto an upper position where said card is viewable above said housing.

2. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said card supportingmeans is constructed to hold a plurality of individual cards so that thentire face of each card is visible when said card supporting means isin said upper position.

3. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said card supportingmeans and said housing are so constructed and arranged as to support acard generally vertically during the upward movement of said cardsupporting means and so as to permit the card to fall away from saidsupporting means when the latter reaches said upper position. v

4. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mechanismoperably connected with said card supporting means includes spring meanswhich is biased through depression of said card supporting means to itslower position and when the latter is released from said biased positionsaid spring means is effective to cause elevation and rotation of saidcard supporting means, and

manually operable latch means effective to hold said card 1,900,1873/1933 Matter 40-68 supporting means in position against the biasingaction of said spring means. ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary ExaminerReferences Cited PAUL E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner 5 UNITED STATESPATENTS CL 1,341,116 5/1920 Figueroa 40-68 40-33, 68

1,731,083 10/1929 Sigman 4033

